Bring Me Home
by Hidden Joy
Summary: AU. "Silence. That's all twelve year old Jude Jacob had ever heard in his life. Silence. And he liked it. He could only imagine how many whispers he would catch about himself if he could hear." Jude Edward Jacob has everything going against him. Foster kid. Dead Mom. Likes 'girl' things. Deaf. He only has Callie. Until she's taken away, too.
1. I'm Coming Back

**The Key**

Talking

 _Signing/Talking_

 **Signing**

 **WHEN IN FLASHBACKS/DREAMS:**

 _Talking_

Signing/Talking

 _ **Signing**_

* * *

 **I'm Coming Back**

 _"Your son has failed the hearing test," the doctor told the new parents._

 _"What? He-he's deaf?" Colleen asked, her eyes wide as she looked over at her husband. The shock settling on them._

 _"Yes. Don't worry, if you want him to hear, there are procedures that ca-"_

 _"No," Colleen interrupted their doctor. The two parents had always held a silent vow to love their kids, how ever they turned out. Gay, straight, boy, girl, disabled, sick, anything. Being deaf was no different. She glanced at Donald to make sure he was in agreement and he nodded._

 _"He doesn't need to hear, he's our son, and that's all that matters," Donald explained. He nodded and squeezed his daughter's hand as she looked at her small family. She seemed confused about why her parents were looking so stressed._

 _"Okay. Then I will leave any other decision you make for him up to you," the doctor explained. She smiled at them and walked out as the nurse came in the give the newborn to his parents._

 _Colleen sat up, taking her child in her hands and cradled him. She felt tears come to her eyes as she kissed her son for the first time. "Hi, hi Jude," she whispered, as her son stared at her with the blue eyes all newborns have. He was confused. She would make sure he wasn't confused forever. Sign language. Speech therapy. Lip reading. Anything to make her son happy for who he is. Not scared to be himself. Colleen knew she would do anything to make sure her son never felt that way. Like he couldn't feel safe. Like he couldn't be who he was. Jude Edward Jacob would be happy. If it was the last thing Colleen did. "Hey Callie," she used a hushed tone. She turned toward her daughter who was holding her stepfather's hand. "This is your baby brother," she said. She leaned over carefully to give her children their first glimpses of each other._

 _Callie stared at the baby and dropped her stepfather's hand and walked over to her mother. Jude stared at his sister, stretching his fingers out at her. Callie lifted her hand and Jude latched his fingers around one of hers. "Brother," Callie whispered, her voice at a high pitch. As they stared at each other, Jude's first smile formed on his tiny lips. In that one word was a promise. A promise to be there for each other forever. No matter what the world threw at them. Though the children of Donald and Colleen Jacob had no idea of their promise yet, nor the depth in which their promise would go to, their connection in that moment was enough. And that promise would never fade from their grasp._

[][][][][][][]

Silence. That's all twelve-year-old Jude Jacob had ever heard in his life. Silence. And he liked it. He could only imagine how many whispers he would catch about himself if he could hear. He could communicate well though. He had been through plenty of speech therapy till he was six and has talked a lot since. To his foster parents. To his foster siblings. To his sister. Of course, Callie and him would sign to each other, which made it easier on his part. It was hard to read lips of all the families they were passed through, who barely bothered to look at him let alone learn a few signs.

But, in all this, Jude had his sister. A loving older sister who was scarred and a bit rough around the edges, but cared deeply for him and him for her. She made him feel like he could be who he was even in the most judgmental homes. A heart of gold, he would call her. She truly was. Protective, tough, loving, honest, kind, caring. She made mistakes, sure. Who didn't? But Jude could never stay mad at Callie for long. Their family was small, but it was theirs. It was broken. Memories seared into their brains. Scars from beatings without a reason, but not forgotten. They both had them, but they wouldn't trade it if it meant never seeing the other again. It wouldn't be worth it. No matter how it had started.

He could remember his mother. His father. Who brought him and Callie so much happiness. Their small family had been ripped apart six long years ago. Their father got drunk. Mom got in the car. She died and he was arrested for manslaughter. Then the six and ten-year old were thrown into the foster system, going through hell and back since then. Always staying together. Always protecting each other. Staying true to their silent promise they made twelve years ago.

The twelve-year-old sat in his foster-father's bedroom. This was one of the worst homes that he and his sister had been in. Their foster-father beat up his sister often. Jude would always hide, hating to see his sister get hurt. Jude knew that his foster-father was out, drinking or something,. So, he had given into his curiosity and looking through the chest in the man's room. He grunted as he had trouble pulling the top of the chest open.

" _Woah,_ " he whispered, staring at the contents. It was filled with pictures of a beautiful woman and a bunch of pretty dresses. He pulled one of them out, staring at it. It was a simple blue dress that would end just at the knee for a full-grown woman, but when he stood and pressed it to his chest, it reached his ankles. Jude paused, pulling the dress from his body and running his hand over the soft material. Jude thought for a moment. His foster-father wouldn't be home for a few hours, and Callie loved him no matter what. Jude nodded to himself in his decision, then pulled the hanger off the dress and pulled it over his head, letting the cloth flow over his clothes. He grinned to himself and twirled in a circle, the end of the dress coming up around him. Jude smiled and raced out of the room, searching for his sister.

"Callie!" He called, not bothering to sign, considering she couldn't see him. "Callie!" He called again, stepping into the living room where his sister was. His sister looked up and smiled at him.

" _Jude, what are you wearing?_ " she asked, and he could see her laughing as he watched her hands move.

" _A dress I found in the chest in Jim's room,_ " he explained. He lifted the sides of the dress up, like he saw in the movies, and grinned at his sister. " _Do you like it?_ " he asked, looking at her, hoping she liked the dress as much as he did.

" _I think you look adorable,_ " she told him, smiling and standing up. She crouched down to his height and tapped his chin. She stuck her tongue out a bit and grinned at him. He knew Callie loved him, but he could see the fear in her eyes for him. Was it bad to wear a dress? Yes. He knew that. Boys couldn't wear dresses. Callie glanced over her shoulder, her eyes widening. She turned to him. " _Go change out of that. Now!_ " she told him forcefully. Jude wasn't dumb. He knew that look on his sister's face. Their foster-father was home, and if he saw Jude in the dress, he would flip. Jude nodded and turned around, racing toward his room. He slammed the door shut, feeling the floors shake from their foster-father's heavy footsteps. He couldn't hear anything, but he knew they were yelling.

Jude's breath caught in his throat as he felt the vibrations of his foster-father's heavy foot steps again. Coming toward his room. He shoved himself into the corner of his room, holding his legs close to his body to seem smaller. Maybe he would be able to just disappear. His eyes widened as Paul threw open the door to Jude's room, his eyes, filled with anger, settling on Jude. "You!" Jude read the man's lips as he pointed toward the twelve-year-old. "What the fuck are you doing in that dress?!" Jude's breathe grew heavy as he tried to stand, tried to get away. He knew what was coming. He didn't know why. How could someone be so cruel and judgmental. It was terrible. Though, he couldn't help the small rush of happiness he felt that it wasn't Callie in his position. But his foster-father caught him by the neck before he could go anywhere.

Jude let out a yelp as he was thrown to the floor, tears already starting to spill from his eyes as Jim beat at Jude, punching and kicking any part of Jude he could reach. Jude cried out in pain and through his tears he could see Callie run into the door way. He saw her lips move frantically, but couldn't make out what she was saying through his blurry vision. Jude wrapped his arms around himself, trying to make himself small again as his foster-father continued to beat him.

He looked up as the pain from a punch stopped. Jude watched as Callie shouted at their foster-father, only to he kicked in the stomach and shoved to the side. "No!" Jude cried, still unable to see his sister hurt. His cries were silenced as he was kicked in the head, sending a rush of pain through his mouth, feeling a warm crimson liquid come from his mouth as his foster-father continued to beat him. His vision blurred, and this time not from the tears. He hoped Callie had gotten away.

Then, the hits stopped. Jude lifted his eyes, blinking rapidly as his foster-father stared out the window, anger on his face as he ran outside. Jude sat there, curling himself into a ball, starting to let more tears fall. He sat frozen as he waited for Paul to come back and hit him again. He didn't know how much time had passed before he saw blue and red lights flashing threw the window of his room. Jude gasped, pushing himself up and running outside, tripping over his own feet. "Callie!" He screamed as he saw the police handcuff his sister and move her toward the police car. He saw his sister turn around as she heard his voice. He watched her lips as she spoke, not able to register what she had said before she was shoved into the cop car.

Jude collapsed to the ground, crying into the soft material of the dress that had caused all this. He could do this. He could be trapped in these awful foster homes with these awful people. But not without Callie. He lifted his head and looked at Paul's car in the driveway, beaten to scraps, a baseball bat resting beside it. His brain seemed to finally register what his sister had said.

 _I'll come back!_

* * *

 **I changed like two things.**

 **I don't own The Fosters, or anything you might recognize.**

 **-HJ**


	2. The Next Home

**The Key**

Talking

 _Signing/Talking_

 **Signing**

 **WHEN IN FLASHBACKS/DREAMS:**

 _Talking_

Signing/Talking

 _ **Signing**_

* * *

 **The Next Home**

Jude groaned as he was shoved out of bed. He forced his eyes open to see his foster-father above him, shouting at Jude to go do his chores and get his lazy ass out of bed. Jude took a deep breath as he pushed himself up, watching Paul leave the room. The reality of the situation came crashing against Jude again as he got to his feet. It had been a little over a week since Callie had been taken to juvie, but that didn't mean it hurt Jude any less. His sister was his last sense of security left and now she had been ripped away, too. Jude walked to his dresser and quickly got into his clothes and then jogged down the stairs. He rushed to make breakfast and then ate his cereal silently.

He took the trash out then made his bed. When he was done, he made his way out the door and to the school. In the past week he had made sure he was out the door before his foster-father could say anything. He obeyed him and stayed quiet, not wanting to get hurt again. Jude had tried to stay away from trouble. He knew as soon as Callie got pulled from juvie they would be moved, but for now he was stuck with his foster-father.

Jude entered the school, closing his eyes half way as he made his way down the hall, earning a shove or two here and there. He breathed a sigh, shaking his head. He was a target by all bullies. He was deaf, a foster kid, had a dead mom, a dad in jail, and he acted, as the kids at school said, 'gay'. Not to mention that he wasn't the smartest kid. He had a C average, which had been hard to earn. He had been to so many schools and it was so hard for him to adjust and learn. And his deafness made the whole thing harder. He didn't understand how he had made in to seventh grade without being held back.

That day Jude went about his day as normally as possible. He watched the teachers carefully, making sure he got every word they said, asking them to repeat when they turned away and he couldn't hear them. He sat alone at lunch, getting a few glares and hits. He walked home later, Paul having made dinner already, but not enough for Jude. He finished his chores, the dishes the last thing he had to do.

As Jude soaked the lasagna pan, he felt the floor rumble and turned to see his foster-father walking toward the door. He hadn't gotten the words Paul had spoken, only catching three words off his lips. "... deaf or what?" Jude rolled his eyes. His foster-father often forgot that he was in fact deaf. Jude paused as he placed the pan down, allowing it soak for a few seconds as he turned his head into the living room. A tall boy stood outside the door. He had dark hair, tan skin, and dark eyes. He had a backpack flung over his shoulder and he looked confused. Jude turned back around, figuring that the boy was lost.

He felt the floor shake again and turned his eyes back behind him. His eyes widened when he saw Callie standing there, talking with their foster-father and pointing at Jude as Paul yelled over her. He saw the boy walking in, speaking as well. Jude gasped as he saw Paul pull a gun from the drawer and point it toward the boy. The boy backed down, stepping back. Jude watched, his eyes wide, and he stepped closer to the sink, holding onto the counter. Jude watched as a blonde cop came in, her gun raised toward his foster-father who had dropped the gun and gotten on his knees. Callie instantly came running toward him, pulling him into a hug.

"Callie!" He cried, wrapping his arms around her waist. He cried, a smile coming onto his face to be back with his sister. Jude grinned, hugging his sister and laughing as she pulled back rubbed her thumbs against his cheeks, erasing the tears.

" _I missed you,_ " she managed to sign in the small space she'd left between them. She just nodded in agreement. Jude watched as the male cop pulled his foster-father out of the house and toward a flashing police car. Jude breathed a sigh as he held onto Callie tightly, not wanting to let her go ever again.

She pulled back a bit as the female cop came over to them. She spoke to Callie, then turned around and followed the boy who had originally come to the police car.

" _Oh my god, Callie, how did you get here!?_ " he asked, watching her as she laughed a bit and then explained the story.

[][][][][][][]

 _Callie ran her hand over her lip as she moved through the railings and jumped off the wall. She walked down the street, her eyes scanning for a bus station._

 _"So, uh, where are you going?" she heard the voice of her new foster-brother, Brandon behind her. She rolled her eyes, not looking back._

 _"I've got some stuff to take care of," she told him, breathing a small sigh, thinking of what could be happening to Jude at their old foster home._

 _"Stuff to take care of? Like right now?"_

 _"It's important!" she fired back, anger rising in her stomach._

 _"Okay, you won't be able to take care of it if you end up back in juvie," Brandon spoke matter-of-factly. She could hear his foot steps getting closer as she passed the last stretch of the school property. "I mean my mom's a cop. You seriously think she won't track you down in like a minute flat-" she cut him off._

 _"Can you just mind your own damn business? You and your whole freakin' family."_

 _"We're just trying to help you," he told her. Callie shook her head. They couldn't help her without her ending up back in juvie without Jude being safe. She couldn't handle that._

 _"Yeah, well I don't need help," she responded, turning around to face the boy, narrowing her eyes at him._

 _"Clearly you do! What is so important anyway?" he asked, narrowing his eyes back._

 _Callie sighed, lifting a hand and running it through her hair. "I have to get my brother, he's in a bad foster home. The one I was in before your house," she finally told him._

 _"What? Well, let me call my Mom-"_

 _"No, no cops!" Callie told Brandon, walking over to him as he pulled out his phone. He gave her a confused look. She breathed a sigh. "If you call your Mom, she's gonna look into the system and see all these complaints my foster-father filed against me, and you're gonna get me sent back to juvie and Jude is gonna be stuck in that house!" she told him, breathing heavily, concern for her brother threatening to boil over._

 _"I'm coming with you," Brandon explained, following her as she turned back around, walking toward the bus station._

 _"Don't you have that music thing?"_

 _"Uh, yeah, but there'll be others."_

 _The two made it to the bus and got on it, paying the driver and sitting down. They rode to Tijuana, silent as the sun set until Brandon spoke._

 _"So what happened? At that house?" he asked, looking at Callie and bouncing his knee against her's._

 _"Well, my foster-father. He caught my little brother wearing one of his ex-wife's dresses. Started beating the crap out of him,"_

 _"Really? He hit him?" Brandon interrupted, shock on his face. Callie sighed. This kid was lucky. He could be who he wanted without any consequences. Of course he was shocked that Jude had been beaten for wearing a dress._

 _"Yeah, I mean, he use to hit me all the time, but you know, whatever," she paused watching concern grow on Brandon's face. She continued anyway. "But, when I saw him going after Jude... I just- well, I tried to stop him. But, he kicked me in the stomach. So I grabbed a baseball bat, went outside, beat the hell out of his precious Trans Am. The cops came, and he told them I went crazy and he was defending himself. No one seemed to care much for my side of the story," she explained to him. The silence fell between them again as they reached the stop. Callie raced off first, Brandon closely behind as they raced toward the house that was their foster father's._

 _"Okay, you go over there and act confused so I can sneak in and get Jude,"_

[][][][][][][]

Jude stared at Callie as she finished the story. " _I can't believe you did that! They could send you back to juvie!_ " He cried, gripping her arm.

" _Don't worry, I don't care. You'll stay with the Fosters, or I'll make sure they send you somewhere safe. I'll be fine,_ " Callie explained, running her hand through his hair.

Jude sighed, knowing there was no use arguing with Callie. She smiled at him. " _Now, go get your stuff,_ " she told him, pointing toward his room. He nodded, giving her a small smile and jogging toward the room and grabbing the little he had; a Skippy backpack and some clothes. He shoved the clothes in the backpack, then through it around his shoulders. Jude walked out and smiled sadly at Callie.

" _Come on, let's go,_ " she told him. Callie put her arm around his shoulder as they walked out of the house. Callie pushed him toward a car and he sat down beside the boy who had looked confused. The boy who now had a name; Brandon. He smiled softly at the older boy and put his backpack on his lap. Jude looked up as he saw Brandon's finger touch his backpack. He looked up, furrowing his eyebrows and only catching the last of what he said. "...that backpack."

" _I'm sorry, what?_ " Jude asked, raising his eyebrows, signing by reflex. He paused when he saw the confused look on Brandon's face. He then realized that they hadn't seen him sign, and Callie probably hadn't told them he was deaf.

"Callie didn't tell you I'm deaf, huh?" Jude used his voice deciding against signing.

"What?" Brandon asked, his eyes wide.

"Funny," Jude rolled his eyes. Brandon's jaw dropped as he realized his mistake.

"Oh, uh, sorry, I didn't mean..."

"Yeah, I know. Don't worry, happens all the time," Jude explained, breathing a sigh as Brandon nodded. Jude faced forward, noticing the lady cop and a dark-skinned woman sitting in the front. Brandon made eye contact with the lady cop. Jude smiled as he turned and the door opened, Callie climbing in beside him. He watched as his sister looked up, then signed to him what the woman had said.

" **Buckle up.** " Jude did what he was told and turned forward again as they drove away from the house. Jude watched as they drove through the streets. The ride was quiet, at least for him. When they finally reached the house, Jude scrambled out of the car after Callie. Jude smiled as he saw two teenagers sitting on the front porch. They must have been the other kids Callie mentioned.

"Who's this?" he read the boy's lips as they stood to greet them.

" _This is Jude,_ " Callie explained, smiling at her brother. The boy furrowed his eyebrows and pointed at her hands.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

" _Signing. Jude is deaf,_ " she explained. He noticed the boy and girl's eyes widen, but didn't comment. Callie then turned back to Jude and pointed around the group, telling him their names. He nodded once she finished. From what he got, the new boy was Jesus, the girl was Mariana, the lady cop was Stef, the dark-skinned woman was Lena, and he already knew Brandon. From what he picked up Jesus and Mariana were twins, and Stef and Lena were the mothers of the family. Mothers? That surprised Jude. Though he wasn't against it in any way, he had never been in a house with two moms or two dads.

Then group went inside, and seemed to scatter, to Jude's dismay. He looked over at Stef and Lena and saw Stef shouting something about going to bed. That explained the scatter. Jude stepped back as the three kids streamed up the stairs. Stef and Lena then turned to Jude. Callie tapped his shoulder and began to sign what the two were speaking, pointing to each when they started to talk.

"Okay, Jude, this is your first night, and we have to talk to Bill," Stef began.

"Yes, and while you're here, you will be going to Anchor Beach Charter School. I'm the vice principal there, so you can start, soon. We just need to get you stuff for classes and then get your schedule," Lena explained.

"And, uh, as you are deaf, we will be getting you some hearing aids so you can at least know what's happening around you. We will attempt to learn a little sign language so Callie isn't stuck interpreting everything," Stef said. Jude raised a hand, looking toward Stef and Lena, signaling them to stop.

"You don't have to, we're only going to be here a few weeks, right? I can handle it till we leave. I just wanna know where I'm sleeping tonight," Jude explained. He saw Stef and Lena's face fall and Callie frown. That had been the first question she had asked as well. He turned back to Callie as Lena started to speak.

"Uh, you will be sleeping in here," she gestured to the living room.

Callie then signed. " **I'll be there all night, don't worry,** " she told him, smiling. Jude just nodded.

" _Okay,_ " he whispered.

[][][][][][][]

Jude let out a small groan as he felt himself be shaken awake. He pushed himself up and glared at Callie who stood over him, grinning. He grabbed his hearing aids, which Stef and Lena had gotten for him against his protests, and placed them on his ears.

"What?" he asked lazily, pushing his hair from his eyes.

"Get dressed, it's your first day of school!" She signed. Jude smiled softly. He had been at the Fosters for a few days and he had been stuck in the house alone with Stef for most of his time. He had gone shopping for supplies with Lena a few days ago and now he had just been waiting for him to be able to go. And today was that day. He got to his feet and grabbed his clothes, walking to the bathroom and getting himself ready. He walked out and ate breakfast with the family and they were on their way to school. The car was crowded with five kids and Lena driving. Brandon was in the front with Lena, while Callie, Mariana, and Jesus were stuffed in the middle and Jude sat in the back. Though Jude couldn't hear, he could tell that there was a lot of noise going on in the front of the car.

As they reached the school, everyone filed out, Jude following Lena to the office. She explained to him the basic rules, where his classes were and everything else he needed to know. She took him to class though she had looked worried in the process. Did it have something to do with talking to the teacher before taking him to class? He didn't know.

He hadn't received an interpreter because he knew he would be able to follow along. His first class was math, and he silently sat through it, paying attention carefully. He had a bit of a hard time, but was able to get through the class fairly well, even if he had been a bit late.

Jude checked his schedule and left, searching for room 221, his science classroom. In the process he felt himself bump into someone. He looked up and groaned. "Sorry, sorry, I wasn't looking," he told the boy. He was a few inches taller than Jude and had sandy blonde hair. His eyes were hazel, and he had a soft smile on his face. Jude recognized the boy from his math class. He didn't remember learning the boy's name though.

"Don't worry about it. I'm Connor," the boy who now had a name told Jude, extending his hand. Jude took his hand and shook it.

"I'm Jude," Jude answered, letting their hands drop.

"You're the new kid right? Are you lost?" Connor asked. Jude nodded, glancing away, slightly embarrassed. "Are you going to science with Mrs. Scott?" Connor asked. Jude nodded again, making a grin spread across Connor's face. "Cool, me too. Come with me," Connor spoke, walking past Jude who followed quickly. Jude kept his eyes on Connor, making sure he was following the boy correctly. Jude furrowed his eyebrows as Connor turned around, waving his hand. "Did you hear me?" Connor asked.

Jude rolled his eyes, turning his head a bit so Connor could see his hearing aid. "I'm deaf," Jude explained. He watched Connor's jaw drop and rolled his eyes as the boy stuttered.

"Sorry... I... I..." Connor started, but Jude cut him off.

"Look, we can either talk or walk, but I can't exactly read your lips and walk at the same time," Jude explained, seeing a slight realization come onto Connor's face. What had the boy thought Jude had been staring ta his lips for? Connor just nodded and turned back around, leading the two toward the science room.

Jude scratched his neck, gripping his backpack as they walked into the room. He took a seat behind the boy. There were still people straggling in as they sat. Jude tapped Connor's shoulder, and Connor turned quickly, raising his eyebrows a bit.

"Thanks for helping me get here," Jude told Connor, who nodded and smiled.

"No problem," Connor spoke, meeting Jude's eyes before turning around as the teacher started speaking.

Jude's eyes widened as his eyes met the back of Connor's head, his eyes falling to the boy's ear. A hearing aid hung lightly from Connor's ear, but it wasn't any regular hearing aid. It was the kind you wear when you have a Cochlear Implant.

* * *

 **For all confused, a cochlear implant is a surgery a deaf person can get to make them hear. It doesn't work unless you wear a special hearing aid. I hardly edited this chapter either.**

 **I do not own The Fosters or Cochlear Implants or anything your recognize. Also the scene with Brandon and Callie is taken mostly from the pilot, edited a bit.**

 **-HJ**


	3. Get Comfortable

**The Key**

Talking

 _Signing/Talking_

 **Signing**

 **WHEN IN FLASHBACKS/DREAMS:**

 _Talking_

Signing/Talking

 _ **Signing**_

* * *

 **Get Comfortable**

After the initial shock of seeing the Cochlear Implant, he focused on the teacher. There wasn't a point in worrying about it as he probably wouldn't talk to Connor more than their previous conversation. He later found out Connor was in one other class with him. He sat by himself at lunch because no one wanted to sit with the weird new foster kid. Jude walked home with Callie and Mariana after school. He started on his homework, staring at it for a while. Callie was behind him doing her own.

She tapped his shoulder. " _Sixteen,_ " Callie told him the answer to the problem he had been staring at. He looked up hopefully, thinking she could help him. He wrote down the answer.

" _And this one?_ " he asked, pointing his pencil eraser toward the next math problem. She leaned forward, frowning at him when she saw it.

" _No, you know that,_ " she assured. Jude sighed, looking at the paper and furrowing his eyebrows. " _What do you have to do?_ " Callie reasoned, tilting her head. Jude stared at her. She leaned forward, pointing toward the numbers with the end of her pencil. " _You have to divide it by the y,_ " she explained, looking at him expectantly. " _It's four. The answer's four, you should have known that!_ " she laughed, pushing his head as she sat up.

" _You should have known that!_ " he teased, smirking, writing down the answer, then glancing back at her.

" _I did know that,_ " she stated.

" _No, you didn't,_ " he grinned.

" _Yes, I did._ "

"Uh-huh!"

" _Yeah!_ " Callie leaned forward, grabbing him around the waist and pulling him onto the couch, laughing. "So cheeky!" Jude caught off her lips, before bursting into laughter as she tickled him.

"Stop it!" he begged through his laughs.

" _No, you stop it!_ " she attempted to sign, laughing herself.

"How long are we gonna be here?" Jude asked as she let go of his waist, sitting up, his laughs subsiding.

"Uh, _I don't know, kid,_ " she answered truthfully. She looked at him with wide eyes, the smile still on her face. " _Finish your homework!_ " she ordered. Jude nodded, slipping off the couch and onto the floor.

" _Okay,_ " he whispered.

After he finished up, he went into the kitchen where Lena was. He wanted to ask about the chores he would have to do. "Hi," Jude greeted Lena who was leaning over the sink. She turned around smiling at Jude.

"Dinner isn't ready yet. Do you _want something_ to drink? Is everything _okay_?" she asked, walking over to stand by the table, attempting to use the signs she'd learned.

" _Yeah, I was just wondering if you had any chores for me,_ " Jude explained. They had told him to sign around them so it could help them learn.

Lena tilted her head. "Chores?"

Jude nodded. " _Yeah, well, if foster families aren't gonna send us away right away, they usually give us chores and stuff,_ " Jude explained. Lena frowned, but swiftly recovered.

"You know what? You could _really help me,_ " Lena paused, grabbing something from a drawer then turning back toward Jude and holding up a few forks. "Put out the salad forks," she explained. Jude nodded as she gave him half the forks. The two began to place the forks on each of the plates.

Then Jude decided to ask Lena the question that had been bugging him all day. "So are you and Stef married?" he asked, placing down the last fork and looking at Lena.

"Well, _not exactly. Not_ legally, _no_. _We're married in our_ hearts, I guess," Lena told him, giving him a stiff smile.

" _That's basically the same thing, right?_ " he asked, tilting his head.

" _Basically, yeah,_ " Lena agreed, smiling. Jude nodded. He helped her finish setting the table, then went back in the living room with Callie.

It was a little while later when Jude, Callie, and his foster siblings were sat down.

"Callie, can you help us out?" Lena asked. Callie nodded and turned to Jude, who looked at his sister who signed for him.

"So, we have to talk about something, obviously," Stef explained.

"Uh, Stef and I had our meeting with Bill and we have come to a decision," Lena told them. Jude glanced at Stef and Lena eagerly. Were they gonna send them away?

"We are not in a position to offer Jude and Callie a home forever," Stef explained. Jude's shoulder's slumped.

"But," Lena started. "We would like you guys to be as comfortable and safe as possible, until Bill does find you a permanent home." Jude smiled. They would be staying!

"How ever long that may take," Stef told them, smiling at Jude and Callie.

"Yes, it could be a week it could be a year," Lena added.

"We just don't know," Stef explained, Lena nodded in agreement. "We want this to be your last way station, ever, ever, ever," Stef explained. Jude looked up from Callie's hands, sharing a grin with his sister, before she started moving her hands again.

"Okay, so that means, we need to get you guys out of the living room," Lena explained. Jude furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, looking over at Lena and Stef.

"I think you're okay to camp down there one more night, but tomorrow we're having some beds delivered. So, Brandon and Jesus, we're gonna need some muscle," Stef told her sons. Jude looked over at his foster brothers who were nodding in begrudging agreement. Jude looked at Stef as he saw his name. "Jude, my sweet, new, young friend. You'll be moving in with Jesus," Jude nodded, looking at Jesus and smiling stiffly. He frowned as Jesus rolled his eyes. He looked back at Callie. "And Callie, you'll be moving into Mariana's room, all right?" Stef finished. He saw Mariana sit up, almost threateningly. He frowned. Did Mariana not like Callie? He brushed it off as him and Callie turned back toward Stef and Lena.

" _I'm fine with it,_ " Jude explained, smiling. Callie agreed and Jesus and Mariana agreed hesitantly a few seconds later. Jude looked over at Callie.

" **Well, this should be fun,** " he signed, raising his eyebrows.

" **Yup,** " Callie agreed.

* * *

 **My readers from the beginning, yes I've taken out the Connor part. Don't worry, he will be back soon enough! This chapter is based of Consequently, the second episode, and the next will be focused mainly on that as well! Also to the Guest who asked about the hearing aids, for deaf people who don't get Cochlear Implants, hearing aids only help them hear ambient noise so they can understand what's going on around them, it doesn't make them actually hear.**

 **Alright! Thank you guys, hopefully I can update soon.**

 **I don't own The Fosters, the ideas for these scenes, or anything else you recognize.**

 **-HJ**


	4. What Happened This Time?

**The Key**

Talking

 _Signing/Talking_

 **Signing**

 **WHEN IN FLASHBACKS/DREAMS:**

 _Talking_

Signing/Talking

 _ **Signing**_

* * *

 **What Happened This Time?**

It was Friday morning and Jude was sat in his science class yet again. He tapped his pencil against the notebook, glancing around the classroom. He looked up as he saw a figure move in his peripheral vision. He met eyes with Connor who turned toward Jude, smiling.

" _Hey!_ " Connor greeted. Jude moved back in his seat, his eyes wide.

"Did you just...?" he asked, pointing to Connor's hands. Connor grinned and nodded.

"I, uh, _looked up_ a few _signs._ I figured you _might need_ someone _who you don't need_ to read lips. I decided to be that person," Connor explained, looking at Jude to make sure he got the signs right. Jude gulped, his eyes still a bit wide. He felt a smile come on his lips and he nodded.

" _Thank you,_ " Jude said, placing his hand on his chin then bringing it down.

" _No_ problem," Connor answered, giving Jude a warm smile. Jude returned it, glancing down, then back up at Connor.

And here he had been thinking that Connor was just ignorant. He was about to say something, maybe tell Connor he didn't have to, or try to express his gratitude further, but then Connor glanced behind him, then turned back to Jude. "The teacher _wants_ us to pay attention," Connor explained, then turned around completely. Jude focused on the teacher, allowing his thoughts to settle. Maybe he'd finally made a friend.

[][][][][][][]

Jude walked out of Anchor Beach and glanced around, looking for his sister. He smiled when he felt a familiar arm around his shoulders and turned toward Callie, leaning into her and smiling. She dropped her arm from his shoulder and started signing.

" _Hey, bud!_ " she greeted, leading him toward the street.

" _Hey, Callie,_ " he greeted, smiling.

" _How was school?_ " she asked, glancing at him as they walked.

" _Good. Tough,_ " he explained. Callie nodded in understanding. The two walked in silence for a few minutes before Callie placed a hand on Jude's shoulder, signalling for him to stop. Jude looked at her confused, but saw why she stopped. Mariana came running over to them, smiling.

"Hey Callie!" Jude read from Mariana's lips. She then turned to Jude.

"Um, it's _hey, Jude,_ right?" she asked, attempting to sign her greeting. Jude shook his head at his name sign. Mariana had been trying to learn a few signs to help Jude. She still hadn't gotten his name sign right, she would form a U then an E with her hands rather than the actual sign.

"Like this," Jude told her, lifting his hand. He kept his index, middle, and pinky finger up, keeping his ring finger and thumb down. He then formed a J in the air, ending by dropping his fingers into an E.

" _Jude,_ " Mariana corrected herself. Jude smiled and nodded.

" _Correct!_ " He told her.

"Yay!" she grinned. She walked a bit in front of Jude and Callie. The three started walking again, heading toward the Foster's home.

" _Made any friends yet?_ " Callie asked, watching Jude.

" _Maybe. There's this one kid Connor, he's pretty cool,_ " Jude answered.

" _Well, that's good!_ " Callie signed, smiling at her brother.

" _Yeah,"_ Jude smiled.

" _Anything else interesting happen?_ " Callie asked, smiling.

" _We're reading a book in class. It's called A Wrinkle in..._ " Jude paused, frowning, having forgotten the rest of the name of the book.

" _Time?_ " Callie asked.

" _What?_ " Jude questioned, thinking he missed something.

" _A Wrinkle in Time?_ " Jude nodded, remembering the name of the book now.

" _Yeah, and it's a bit confusing,_ " Jude explained. Callie and Jude stopped before bumping into Mariana. Jude gave Callie a confused look as she signed what Mariana said.

" **Why are both my Moms home?** " Callie signed, looking just as confused, glancing at the house. The three walked into the house and greeted Stef and Lena who were in the dinning room.

"Hey, uh, hey guys," Stef greeted, smiling stiffly at them.

"Uh, Mariana, could take _Jude upstairs?_ " she asked, testing out the signs she had learned recently. "We _need to talk to Callie,_ " she explained. Jude looked at his sister, frowning a bit as Mariana led him upstairs.

"What was that?" Jude asked, looking at Mariana as they reached the top of the stairs.

"Uh, I _don't know,_ " Mariana answered. " _Hey, why don't we go_ in _my_ room and read some magazines?" Mariana suggested, placing her hand on Jude's shoulder. Jude nodded and followed her into her and now Callie's room. Mariana had Jude sat on the new bed that was now Callie's and she placed a few magazines in front of him. "Uh, stay here, I'll be right back," Mariana explained, smiling at him. Jude nodded, narrowing his eyes a bit and focusing his eyes on the magazines.

But, he couldn't find interest in them. What had Callie done this time? Were they going to send them away all over again? Jude sighed, throwing down the latest edition of Tiger Beat. He ran a hand through his hair and pulled his backpack onto the bed, shuffling through his things. He made a note to himself to organize the stuff Lena had gotten for him. He placed his bag down and groaned to himself. He couldn't think with the possibility of Callie having done something to get them taken out. _Again._ The only time they had left a foster home, and it hadn't been because of Callie, was when they were in the Olmsteads. Jude would never blame Callie for that.

[][][][][][][]

 _"Callie? Callie what happened?" Jude whispered, furrowing his eyebrows as he watched his sister come into his room, tears streaming down her cheeks._

 _" **Nothing,** " Callie signed, sitting down on Jude's bed and taking a deep breath._

 _"_ Callie, please talk to me, _" Jude whispered, moving closer to his sister and holding onto her arm. Callie looked at his hand, waves of tears starting to pour down her cheeks._

 _" **Okay. But, I want you to listen to the whole story first okay?** " she signed, unable to speak. Jude nodded. " **Don't speak okay, just sign, because no one can hear, alright?** " Jude paused, then lifted his hand and nodded his fist._

 _" **Yes.** "_

 _Callie took a breath and turned her body toward her younger brother. " **Liam... Liam and I have kind of been... seeing each other,** " Callie started. Jude's face dropped, and he narrowed his eyes at her._

 _" **Callie, you know that's not allowed!** " Jude signed, shaking his head._

 _" **Please, just, listen...** " Callie told him, choking and having a hard time breathing. Jude took a breath, collecting himself. He nodded for her to continue. " **I know we aren't suppose to, but he made me feel good. Feel special. Especially after everything we've been through,** " Jude sighed and nodded. He knew how hard it was to be accepted and cared for in the foster system. They had been going through it for years together. " **And, uh, well, tonight... he wanted to uh, have sex,** " Callie paused, turning away from Jude. Jude closed his eyes and shook his head. _(A/N: I know what you're thinking, Jude is like 10 here, but it's not uncommon for kids in the foster system to learn things like that early on. And we know that Jude knows about Callie's rape, so.)

 _Callie waited for Jude to open his eyes before she started signing. " **He forced me,** " Callie explained, tears streaming down her cheeks faster. She let out a sob, burying her head in her hands._

 _"Oh my god..." Jude whispered. He leaned forward and wrapped his arms around Callie. The older girl cried harder as she settled against her brother, holding onto him tightly. Like he was all she had in the world. Because he was._

 _The next day, the two were sent away._

[][][][][][][]

Jude raised his eyes as he felt the bed dip beside him. Callie sat down beside him, smiling softly. " _Hey, bud!_ " Jude frowned at her. His eyes narrowed. That time might not have been her fault, but all the other times had been.

" _What did you do?_ " Jude asked. Callie looked taken aback, but she quickly recovered. She took a breath, then turned toward Jude.

" _I didn't do anything. They thought that I had stolen Jesus' pills and sold them at school, because some girl told them that. But it was actually,_ " Callie paused before finished. " _It was actually Jesus, and he came clean._ "

Jude frowned, nodding. " _So, someone just blamed you?_ " Jude questioned. He felt himself become protective over Callie, rather than angry as he had been moments ago.

" _I guess. But, you know me. I can take anything,_ " Callie told him, smiling. Jude glanced down before looking up and nodding. She really could.

* * *

 **Surprisingly, I didn't have to edit this much. Hope you liked it.**

 **I do not own The Fosters or anything you recognize.**

 **-HJ**


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